I awoke on Wednesday morning, about 8am, that would be 1am at home. I quickly showered and dressed, loaded the remaining items and left.
My checkout was easy, I had asked the day before, just leave. They don’t issue any keys, so nothing to return. They collect the money at check in, so nothing left to pay.
A quick metro to the train station and walk out to the platform. I realize that the platform was brand new, the tracks had the granite stone holding everything in place, but there was still a gap between the tracks where you can see the dirt. Also, the rock isn’t covered in brake dust yet and no trash was present.
Russians have very few benches, for some reason, so I stand and wait. Not long, the train pulls up and I enter.
The AeroExpress was just as long as before, slow. I had done a Google map test, it was faster to drive a car to the airport, than to take this train, even though the train doesn’t have red lights. It would have also been faster to take the metro to the end of Line #2 and then the airport bus. But since I had already paid, and I have no car here, this is the route I must make.
Besides, I have many hours prior to boarding, so I really am in no hurry.
We arrive at the SVO airport platform and must enter a security checkpoint. Just a quick x-ray and metal detector. Apparently normal at Russian airports.
I enter the large “common” area. There is a extremely large wall display of the upcoming flights. When I say extremely, I mean it. It must have been 50 feet tall and 300 feet long.
Despite the size, my flight was still not showing. I was that much early.
After browsing around a bit, checking all the restaurants, I see my flight listed, but check in isn’t for another 4 hours. I told you I was early.
I decided on a “bar” that had a clearly posted menu, with English. The prices were reasonable. I ordered a pork hamburger and fries, 840₽. I handed her 850₽, she gave me 10₽ in change, but it was all 1₽ coins.
The pork was good, but had no sauce. The fries were a bit soggy and had no salt. I see no salt anywhere and the clerk had disappeared. This is breakfast, so I eat anyway.
I was going to order a salad, not only for nutrition, but to use the all of the last of my coins. I already know that probably no exchange in the world will take coins, the bastards. But the food is lackluster and I don’t see her any where, so screw it.
Finally, check in time arrived. It was a quick and painless process. I enter the door for customs, nothing to declare. The guard asked me if I had more than $10k equivalent, I denied, I’m not rich after all. He allows me to pass.
Another door and security checkpoint. Again, simple, put everything on the conveyor and walk through metal detector. No shoe removal, no electronics separation, no BS, no problems. TSA PreCheck is easy, but not as easy as going through Russian checkpoints (but there are a lot more of them).
Last door, then passport check. The officer asked for my continuation documentation, I handed over my flight printout from Orbitz, not really proof, but accepted. Passed.
I then have to walk down the hall to the end, because of course my gate is all the way down there. Every store in this area is “duty free.” There is Beluga caviar, wines, perfumes, hand bags, expensive electronics, etc. All the duty free shops accepted rubles or Euros, I guess in case you had already exchanged your money.
I see a PS5 for €699, about $750. But after a quick check of Amazon, I could buy one for only $500. No savings, no thanks.
I verify the display at the gate is right, then sit at a seat with power. And wait. I still have over five hours until boarding.
I pull out my iPad and watch some TV episodes. (After I arrived home I find I watched 14 hours of video, probably about 17-18 if there had been commercials, just from sitting at airports.)
At some point a plane docked and unloaded at the gate, good my plane is here. Later I see a mechanic covering the engine cowls, odd if they are going to be leaving soon.
Flight is at 9:15pm, boarding is about 8:50, so I watch one last video that will end at 8:30. That will ensure I can go ahead and hit the toilet and re-fill my water. But as I finish the episode and stow everything back in my bag, I notice the gate has gotten much emptier. I recheck the display, the next flight is showing, not mine. I then have to go down the hall to find a master display, they’ve changed my gate to the other end of the hall. Seems oddly familiar, as if this happened recently.
The hall is quite long, maybe 200 yards and I had to go down an escalator. arriving at the new gate, they were boarding.
This was the first time anyone had ever separated my boarding pass. I had just been wondering why the boarding passes have a perforation, if no one ever separates. Well I guess some do.
Stepping passed and walking down the small hallway, we all step out side, another bus to the plane. Geez, does no one in Russia get to step directly in or out of a plane to the terminal?
I had looked at my flights recent paths. I see it stays well away from the Ukraine border. Originally I was going to take Turkish Air from Moscow all the way home, but I had Aeroflot credits so I opted to use them for this flight.
There is no way Ukraine would fire upon a Turkish airliner, but I didn’t think about how I wasn’t going to be in a Turkish plane for this flight. I didn’t think about it, until now. Oh crap.
Needless to say, I did not die in a fiery explosion. We landed smoothly and parked at the gate in Istanbul.
I am on an international flight and leaving on another international fight, not entering the country proper, just the customs territory, no security needed.
Oh, things are not that simple.
I had to walk down about a mile to change terminals.
I had to check in with Lufthansa to get my next boarding pass. Then passport control and security. WHY?????
I had just exited a plane and had no access to check baggage. What could I possibly have done to require a new check of my stuff?
While at the gate, I see that I haven’t worn my coat since I arrived in Russia, so I jam it into my suitcase. I also determine that I don’t want my backpack at my feet. My foot had gone numb on the latest flight, the bag took all the space, so I couldn’t move.
You are supposed to place the case in the overhead bin and your personal item is to go under the seat. Nope, I immediately placed both in the overhead. If I need something, I can get it later after takeoff.
Oh, so much better.
I have a one hour, fifty five minute layover at Frankfurt, great. If things ran smoothly.
We load onto the plane and the plane pulls out from the gate, but then captain makes an announcement that Frankfurt airport has a landing strip closed for repairs, so we have a tight window to land. OK, sounds simple. We had to sit 37 minutes waiting for the right time to leave. Why didn’t they just have everyone wait in the terminal? Why sit there burning fuel for no reason?
I did crash out before we took off though.
I realize there is a bad side to using foreign airliners, the safety briefing is in the native language and then again in English, twice the boredom.
The landing and take off in Frankfurt is at the same terminal and both flights are on Lufthansa, maybe this will be easy.
Nope, arrivals and departures are on different levels and to access the other you must go through security.
Because of the change of gate at SVO, I didn’t get a chance to refill the bottle of water. At security, I still had the bottle, which was confiscated and disposed of. No problem, I have another bottle. I can just fill it at Frankfurt.
Because of the take off delay and security, (and another gate change) I arrived after they started boarding. I am way back, but I was able to get both bags stowed. The doors closed very shortly after I sat. So close to being left behind.
Okay, I have a 10 hour flight, no water and I didn’t get to go to the toilet. Great.
Plus side, I had no neighbor, so I could stretch out a little more and I had double pillow and blankets. I had tried laying down, but the seats have just enough contour, that they have a hump as you lay across two. No good. I could move over and stretch my legs into my seat’s leg area though.
I did sleep a bit, but not enough.
The meal was quite good, but small. I’m glad I ate at SVO.
An hour before landing, I need to go, but I’ve never used an airplane toilet. I don’t really want to, it doesn’t seem like something to yearn for, but if I am delayed, I might not get the van to Warner Robins.
We land at ATL. Hurray!
Goodbye Russia, hello real toilet paper.
Even though I am in the section of passport control exclusively for US citizens and permanent residents, there seems to be several people who are not.
The officer at passport control asks where I’m coming from, I answer and he gives me a quizzical look.
“Is this the best time to be visiting Russia?” he asks, like he’s my mother. I explain the need to go now versus loosing my flight credits and my visa expiring soon. He returns my passport and welcomes me home.
I’m not out of the woods yet, I have to find the shuttle to domestic terminal, so I can get the van back to Warner Robins. My email from the transport company stated, “A quick 10 minute ride.” BS, it was over 25 minutes, but I arrived at the van right on time.
I spoke briefly to the lady next to me, who was also on my flight. She lives in Frankfurt and has family in Warner Robins. Coincidence.
I get to Ari’s house, but when I try to put my bags in the car it is locked. Everyone knows I never lock my car. I go in to get the key and press the unlock button, nothing. I get closer and retry, still nothing. Ari says she had just moved the car a few days ago to mow, but now I have nothing.
A jump start attempt latter, still nothing. The battery is on the trunk and I can’t open the trunk without power. But an internet search later, I find out there is a key slot on the trunk, completely filled in with grunge, I had seen it before, but thought it was nothing.
We are able to jump directly on the battery, but as I run around the neighborhood charging the battery, I notice a little bit of a thump. Checking the tires, I see one has exposed steel. It is almost 8pm, very few places are open. The one I check, is open, but is booked with appointments.
I am able to buy a new battery, just in case, and they loan me tools to change it. Cool.
I decide, I have a spare, if it does go flat, then I can fix it then. Didn’t blow out, so no problem.
It is a long way home, we arrive right at 1am. I arose at 1am on Wednesday, it is now Friday. I’ve spent 48 hours on a plane, in a terminal, or in a car. I’m really to go party!
By “party” I of course mean sleep.
I grab my phone and iPad out of the car, but leave everything else, it can wait.
I do a quick check of the house, all seems normal. I go to bed and fall asleep almost right away. I haven’t done that in years.